In this poem (verses 7-14) the psalmist first describes the Law of Yahweh in six different ways (verses 7-9), praises its attractiveness and worth (verses 10-11), and prays for help from the LORD in obeying it (verses 12-14).
In verses 7-9 six words are used for the Law, the sacred record of Yahweh’s instructions to his people (see Psa 119, where eight words are used). The first one, torah (law), is used in 1.2 (see comments); the sixth one, ordinances (the plural of mishpat), was seen as “judgment” in 7.6. The other words are: verse 7c testimony, a word meaning reminder, instruction; verse 8a precepts, a word always used in the plural, meaning orders, legal directives; verse 8c commandment, meaning law, command. All five of these words are nearly synonymous in this context, since the psalmist was searching for words that emphasize different aspects of the same thing, God’s Law. The translator will have to determine whether to use a single term for all, or a similar set of terms.
In many languages law means only orders and regulations sent out from local bureaucrats. In order to avoid such a restricted meaning, it will often be necessary to render law as “the teaching given by God” or “the instructions God gave the people.” Although the Hebrew term torah is used in verse 8, translators working in languages strongly influenced by Islamic terminology should not use towarat, because this term is applied to the Hebrew Scriptures generally.
The testimony of the LORD may often be rendered as “what the LORD tells you to do” or “all that the LORD says.”
The only difficulty arises with the fear of the LORD in verse 9a. As Dahood points out, all other possessive phrases of the LORD have the LORD as subject, not object; here, however, the traditional understanding of “fear” as reverence or awe makes the LORD the object. Bible en français courant, however, translates “The respect that the Lord inspires is pure.” Several commentators prefer to emend the Hebrew to say “the word of Yahweh” (as in 119.38), and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “His word.” Some wish to translate the Hebrew text as “religion,” explaining in a footnote that this represents what the LORD requires of his people. Although it does not sound very natural, the translation “Reverence (or, Respect) for the LORD” is probably the best one. Fear of the LORD must often be recast as a verbal phrase; for example, “it is good for people to worship the LORD.” Line b of verse 9 may then be rendered “they will worship him forever.”
The ordinances of the LORD (Good News Translation “judgments”) must be expressed in some languages as “what the LORD decides is fair and true,” or idiomatically, “when the LORD cuts the words he cuts them fairly.”
The six adjectives used are not all entirely synonymous, but there is overlapping in meaning: perfect (see “blameless” in 18.23); sure (see in 12.1 the verb “to be sure, reliable, faithful”); right (with much the same meaning; see “upright” in 11.2); pure (see 18.26; a “pure commandment” is one that is right, fair, just); clean (synonym of pure; see 12.6); and righteous (fair, just). Translations of these six adjectives vary: New Jerusalem Bible “perfect, enduring, just, lucid, pure, true”; New Jerusalem Bible “perfect, trustworthy, honest, pure, pure, true.” In translation the most important thing is to use adjectives that will naturally apply to the subject. In some languages perfect is rendered as “the best,” “without any fault,” “could not be better.” Good News Translation‘s “trustworthy” is sometimes rendered “you can depend on it,” or idiomatically, “you can put your heart on it.”
The four effects of the Law on those who obey it are described in verses 7-8: verse 7b reviving the soul (“turning the nefesh”; see 3.2), that is, giving renewed vitality and strength to one’s whole being; verse 7d making wise the simple, in which simple means an inexperienced, uninstructed, naïve person; verse 8b rejoicing the heart, that is, bringing joy to the person; and verse 8d enlightening the eyes, which probably means bringing understanding, wisdom (see 119.105, 130), or else, as in 13.3b, restoring strength (as New Jerusalem Bible renders it).
In verse 9 the secondary lines b and d, instead of stating the effects of the Law and commandments on those who obey them, further describe them: enduring for ever (see verb in 18.3) and righteous altogether, or “are always right” (Good News Translation “always fair”; see the adjective “right” in 4.1).
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .